Anybody liked Vikings? I never thought I would, but I’m already in season 4 and still really enjoying it.
The season 1endimg was limp because they decided to end the season right on the middle of the first book. I haven’t had a chance to watch season 2 yet, but I assume it closes out the first book.
1 Like
I read the books a long time ago, so have an idea of the premise but don’t remember the details. I’m five or six episodes into Altered Carbon, and it’s not… bad. But, it’s also not great. I don’t feel compelled to watch it; it’s more of an obligation at this point.
I don’t object to the gratuitous T&A, or even the over the top violence, but I expected better acting and a not-so-transparent plot.
And for a minute can we discuss Ortega? She’s a lieutenant, ffs. Why is she handling her own cases and not supervising anyone? If one of my officers spoke to me the way the cops on the show do to her they’d be eating an insubordination charge, not to mention my boot, faster than they could spin. (I understand I’m complaining about this in a show that takes for granted people taking over other bodies…)
1 Like
Must have taken a pointer from the Sleepy Hollow series, which also had a lieutenant running up her own arse.
One of my issues with the story in general is that In a world where bodies can be replaced, I had a hard time caring all that much about most of the action. Yes, there was plenty of exposition about how some people can’t afford it or object to it or how a dead stack is real death, but the gratuitous violence was more or less without major stakes.
1 Like
Real death is a big thing in the books.
Glossed over in the series.
Another great decision.
1 Like
Came here to say this. The books had way more… oomph.
Got nothing better than oomph. Whatever, it’s late here. Let the editor at it, @Neumannium
I’d think you’d be more scared of death if you were essentially immortal. Gun fights would be terrifying as one stray bullet and it’s goodnight
There was near-zero chance of that. The stack in the books was much smaller than the huge fantasy coins of the series. Not to mention people could back up remotely.
Real death was a remote prospect for most people, and looked upon with genuine horror. In the book, Kovacs inflicts it and everyone thinks he’s a fucking nutter for doing so, because it’s disproportionate but also because it’s deliberate.
I just finished Season 2 of The Magicians on Netflix. I may have mentioned before that I greatly disliked the first book in the series (and therefore didn’t read the following two) and that the first season of the show didn’t wow me, either. That said, there was something about Season 2 that entertained me. I don’t know that I have the review chops to explain exactly, but I simply thought the show became fun. Far from perfect, but fun. Part of that is that it embraced the absurd so much that it was able to pull off a strange mix of ridiculous and serious. Also, in what other show will you get to watch an over-theatrical bisexual, hedonistic king of a mythical Narnia-like kingdom prepare himself for battle by leading his subjects in a rousing medley from Les Miserables, all while hoping that he is able to tap into his magical ability, which is waning due to the fact that the kingdom’s deity literally crapped in the source of magic?
1 Like
I liked season 1, but I think I mentioned before I think Season 2 was great. And I am enjoying Season 3 right now. What I find fascinating is that my least favorite character from Season 1, Margo, has become my favorite character over season 2 and the current Season 3.
The problem with binging shows with cliffhanger endings is that I immediately need to see what happens. Alas, I doubt Season 3 will be on Netflix until next year.
Ash vs Evil Dead. The start of season three isn’t exactly the sharpest start, but it manages to get rolling. There’s a new set up for the same old Deadites, and you can take this either way, but given Campbell’s expertise, and a tight cast that know exactly what they’re doing, this could go on for years. I live in dread of a bad director or writer spoiling it for good. A great mix of comedy and gore.
I was torn over the first two season. Campbell is excellent, the sight gags (usually asinine amounts of blood) were funny, and there were certainly some clever moments. Puppet Ash is one of my favorite villains ever. I was not a huge fan of the narrative structure, for some reason. I liked the show, but certainly wouldn’t rave about it.
I thought S2 sagged badly in the asylum. Neither the writing nor the characters are strong enough to carry the show when separated (aside from Ash). Campbell is so good at His Thing at this point, it’s unfair to compare others to him.
1 Like
True. He did have a few decades’ worth of head start there.
What I like about The Magicians is that it’s surprising without feeling cheap. The plot seems to move quickly enough that I’m always a little off balance. I don’t really connect with the characters much, but it never feels like it just wasn’t worth my time.
It looks like Terry Pratchett’s night watch will be getting a BBC series.
2 Likes
This is exactly how I feel about that character. I’d hoped she would be killed in S1, and now she’s the character that keeps the show interesting for me.
I continue to be very glad they are not adhering to following the plots of the books, which were thin and meandery. The show is cleverer and more magical, with better character development.
1 Like
The Tick. Just perfect. Silly, funny, touching, and very, very clever. It only features superhero cliches and tropes to poke holes in them, but has a solid core of love for the genre. Serafinowicz is impeccable as The Tick, gormless, cheerful and relentlessly heroic. Newman is a wonderful foil as Arthur, although overshadowed by Speiser’s Overkill in this second half of the first series, who is so good as a mockery of the dark, tortured hero, I find myself ignoring everything else in his scenes. Haley’s Terror may be the best thing about the series.
1 Like